The present invention is directed toward a power driven bottle opener and more particularly toward a motor operated opener for removing the screw top caps from a bottle. The invention is useful in a commercial establishment such as a bar or the like and includes a lighted advertising sign on the top thereof.
A common compliant by bartenders and others serving a large amount of bottled beer, soda and other beverages is the problems encountered in unscrewing the caps thereof. This is not only very time consuming but can also be annoying and sometimes painful. Not infrequently, the caps are crimped so tightly that they are extremely difficult to unscrew and the bartender's hands can become sore and even cut when attempting to open the bottle.
Proposals have been made in the past to provide a power driven bottle cap remover for unscrewing the caps from twist top bottles. One example is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,358,970. Insofar as applicants are aware, this device has not met with any success and it is believed that this is true because of the relative complexity of the device which would add to the cost of manufacture. For example, in the device shown in the patent, the entire cap removing head is mounted for both rotational and axial movement. This requires a bushing support which allows for linear movement and also a gear train which allows for linear movement.
The device shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,358,970 also includes a relatively complex arrangement of spring loaded knives and a spring loaded plunger for ejecting a bottle cap which has been removed from a bottle. However, it is not inconceivable that the cap could become so tightly lodged that the forces needed to remove the same would exceed the spring forces of the plunger and knife springs. Increasing these spring forces, however, would make it extremely difficult to operate the device. Thus, it is possible that a cap could become lodged in the removing head.
A further disadvantage of the device shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,358,970 is its aesthetic appearance. The device is not aesthetically pleasing and, therefore, would probably have to be mounted beneath a bar top. The device also serves no function other than a bottle opener and accordingly the expense thereof may not necessarily be justified to a smaller bar or restaurant.